Meet ‘okroshka’, Russia's most summery (& weird) soup!

‘Okroshka’ has been known since the late 18th century. Which is why there is a diversity of recipes and each region of Russia (and probably each family!) cooks it differently. 

The sense of the dish, however, is universal: you just need to “crumble” the ingredients. The word 'okroshka' originates from the verb 'крошить' ('kroshit'), which is to crumble, mince or cut into small pieces. 

The base ingredients for ‘okroshka’ are finely chopped boiled eggs, seasonal vegetables and greens: for Russia, it's a summer harvest of cucumbers, radishes, dill, parsley, onions and spring onion. The more the better. And now, the most important (and weirdest) part: everything is covered with a soft drink…

There are two main choices and, each year, Russians argue over which one is better (who's who love one, can't stand another and vice versa):

1. ‘kvass’, an old Russian carbonated drink made from bread
2. ‘kefir’, a drink from fermented milk

However, there are other options, such as mineral water, ‘ayran’ (a savory yogurt-based beverage) or other liquid dairy products. 

In modern recipes, ‘okroshka’ is also cooked with meat or sausages. Obviously, also finely chopped!